First cruise from Avonmouth postponed due to adverse weather conditions en route to Bristol

The first cruise to set sail from Avonmouth for 20 years has been postponed due to adverse weather and sea conditions.

The ship was due to set sail from the port tomorrow but Cruise and Maritime Voyages, which runs the trips, has been forced “reluctantly” to divert the Northern Lights cruise to set sail from Portland in Dorset to ensure it runs to schedule.

They have been forced to take the decision as a result of conditions on the route from Genoa to Bristol.

The firm said the delay and tidal restrictions in Avonmouth would have meant the ship would have been unable to berth until tomorrow evening, which would have caused disruption to passengers and made it necessary to amend the itinerary of the 15-night cruise.

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Instead coaches will take passengers from Avonmouth to Portland where they will embark Discovery.

The ship will then return to Bristol on Friday, March 15.

Cruise and Maritime Voyages commercial director, Chris Coates, said: “We are naturally disappointed especially for our passengers that we have had to make this necessary change to the start of the cruise but felt that in the best interests of our guests, the right course of action has been taken. Our celebratory plans in Bristol for Discovery’s inaugural sailing will therefore be put on hold until Friday, March 15.”

3 comments

Actually. It won't be sailing into Avonmouth on the 15th March because the cruise has been cancelled after two days of sitting in Weymouth because the ship was deemed unsafe by HSE.
What a shambles. I dropped two passengers off at the "Avonmouth Cruise Terminal" (which was an absolute joke - it was the loading bays of the fresh produce terminal, with access to the BPC staff toilets!!)
If Bristol wants to market itself as a cruise destination, then they are waaaay off the mark!

"Our celebratory plans in Bristol for Discovery's inaugural sailing will therefore be put on hold until Friday, March 15."
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Unless the weather intervenes again, presumably. Not the best publicity for this new venture.